May Day Riots of 1919?
The lyrics conicidentally correspond very well with this event. I'm not saying this is what I think it's about, but it would make sense.
In 1919, Eugene V. Debs was arrested. Charles Ruthenberg organized a protest parade, consisting of unionists, socialists, anarchists, and, most fitting to the song, communists. The "parade" took place on May 1, 1919 (May Day). This would make it during the time of the first Red Scare in the US.
Or maybe I just dug too far into it.
May Day Riots of 1919? The lyrics conicidentally correspond very well with this event. I'm not saying this is what I think it's about, but it would make sense. In 1919, Eugene V. Debs was arrested. Charles Ruthenberg organized a protest parade, consisting of unionists, socialists, anarchists, and, most fitting to the song, communists. The "parade" took place on May 1, 1919 (May Day). This would make it during the time of the first Red Scare in the US. Or maybe I just dug too far into it.
The scarlet letter thing fits too.